


Piece by Piece

by sartiebodyshots



Category: Animorphs - Katherine A. Applegate, Falling Skies
Genre: AU, Gen, M/M, universe fusion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-18
Updated: 2017-09-18
Packaged: 2018-12-31 05:38:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12125715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sartiebodyshots/pseuds/sartiebodyshots
Summary: Little snippets from an au where the Animorphs in all their morphing glory met up with the 2nd Mass at Charleston.  Because what the 2nd Mass needed was MORE idiot kids with a death wish, amirite ladies?





	Piece by Piece

**Author's Note:**

> Written for AU day over at falling skies week! Because the people (me) demanded it.

The explosion goes off without a hitch.  Matt watches with his friends, glee on his face.  It’s so good to watch something blow up.  Way better than dumb school.

He and his friends are still celebrating when a grizzly bear pushes through the remains of the door.  It flexes its claws, looking for a fight.  There wasn’t a bear in there just a few minutes ago.  At least, Matt didn’t see one.

<<Where are the skitters?>> a girl’s voice sounds in his head.  

Oh!  This must be one of the Animorphs!  They came to Charleston a couple months ago, but Matt hasn’t gotten to actually meet one.  This is probably not the best way to meet an Animorph.

“There aren’t any,” Matt says.

<<But the explosion->>

“I did that!” Matt hastens to explain.  

<<Aah>>

Matt watches in fascination as the bear becomes a girl.  It’s horrifying and surprisingly  _ loud _ , but at the end of it, there’s a barefoot girl in a leotard standing in front of him.  Rachel, Matt thinks her name is.  

“Do you blow up a lot of buildings?” Rachel asks.

Matt shrugs.  They spend a lot of time with his dad, so he doesn’t exactly want to admit that he has a whole stash of explosives.  “Sometimes.”

“Where do you get the explosives?”

He doesn’t get the chance to answer because a group of armed soldiers storm up, guns drawn.  Rachel holds her hands up with a sigh while Matt looks around.  They’re not gonna shoot at them; he’s the president’s son, after all.  

“It was just an accident, guys,” Rachel says before Matt can say anything.  “Nothing to worry about.”

“Oh, sorry, ma’am,” the soldier says, lowering his gun.  “Didn’t realize this was an Animorph operation.”

“Well, carry on, soldier.  You’ve done your duty here,” Rachel says.

Matt watches in awe as the soldiers leave.  He had thought that Rachel would rat him out.  The Animorphs are supposed to be super responsible, or so Dad keeps saying, but she kept his secret and took the blame.  So she’s cool.  

“Thanks for not snitching,” Matt says.  “I kind of figured you would.”

“You know, my favorite pair of flipflops were in there,” Rachel says.  “There aren’t a lot of places to get good flipflops around here.”

“Sorry,” Matt really does feel bad.  The Animorphs are heroes, after all.  “Do you wanna wear my shoes?”

“Thanks kid, I think your feet are a little small,” Rachel says.  “So where did you get the explosives?”

They turn and walk back towards Charleston.  Not that Matt really wants to, but he knows he has to go back eventually.  Might as well go back with Rachel.  

“Stole it,” Matt explains.  “Dad has keys to everything in Charleston, and he doesn’t notice when things go missing.”

“You should come hang with the Animorphs sometime,” Rachel says after a long pause. 

“Really?  You mean it?” Matt asks.

“Yeah!” Rachel says.  She looks down at her feet with a frown.  “Do you mind if I go grizzly again?  My feet are killing me, and I can give you a ride.”

“Really?!” Matt asks.

Rachel is already on her way to grizzly before Matt even finishes speaking, and a few minutes later he’s riding towards Charleston on the back of his new friend.  This is even cooler than riding on horses.  

Matt waves at everyone as he parades through Charleston on the back of a grizzly bear.  

* * *

<<You’re not going to get your spikes out.>> Tobias’ voice reverberates in Ben’s skull.  

Ben shrugs before heading towards the woods, backpack slung over one shoulder.  He climbs up a tree- their usual tree- and is unsurprised to see a red tailed hawk sitting there.  The backpack hangs off a branch.  

“Nope,” Ben says.  “I’m keeping them.”

<<I heard Lourdes say that they could be killing you.>> Tobias says.

“I don’t really expect to survive this war,” Ben says.

He’s never admitted that aloud before, and the admission makes his heart beat faster.  It’s worse because he knows that Tobias can hear the racing of his heart.  

<<You will.>>

“Being a hawk would also shorten your lifespan.  How does that even work?” Ben asks.

Tobias shrugs, or at least as best he can as a hawk.  He could morph back to human permanently, or even just for this conversation.  But he won’t.  

<<I’m not very useful as a regular human.>>

“Neither am I,” Ben points out.  “The Animorphs need Bird Boy to be their eye in the sky, and the 2nd Mass need a superfreak who can run fast and has all the other superfreak perks.”

<<Bird Boy and the Superfreak.  What a pair we make.>> Tobias says glumly.

One of the things that Ben appreciates about Tobias is that he doesn’t spend all of his time arguing whenever Ben calls himself a superfreak.  Tobias understands what it is to be different, to not be entirely human anymore.

“We still need to figure out who has the better eyesight: you or me,” Ben says, to lighten the mood.

<<Definitely me!>> Tobias says, preening.  <<I can read books from the air.  I’ve seen you use binoculars.  No comparison.>>

“But I can also lift cars,” Ben says.  “That has to count for  _ something _ .”

<<That has nothing to do with eyesight.>>

“But lifting a car is cool!” Ben protests, which is really what the argument is about anyway.

<<I can become an elephant or a polar bear.>> Tobias points out.  <<An elephant can crush a car, trust me.>>

“Yeah, I’ve seen Rachel take out a mech singlehandedly before.  Single-trunk-ed-ly?” Ben says, making a face at his made up word.  At least it makes Tobias laugh.  “I brought the book we’re reading.”

Once Ben gets the book out of his bag, Tobias hops up onto his shoulder, making the branch sway under their combined weight shifting around.  It takes a moment for them to settle into place, Tobias’ wing brushing against Ben’s cheek.  

Somehow, it’s even softer than when he had brushed his human fingers against Ben’s cheek last week.  That had been a good day.

Ben opens the book to the page they left off at.  He reads slow, not turning the page until Tobias squeezes with his claws.  They can sit like this for hours, perfectly content, and they do.

* * *

Cassie spends a lot of time in the hospital with Lourdes, and Lourdes appreciates the company.  She’s only fifteen, but she’s good at stitching up minor injuries and she’s so good with the patients despite being so young.  

“I really admire you,” Lourdes says one day after they wrap up a long shift.  

“Me?” Cassie asks.

“Yeah!” Lourdes says, hanging up her lab coat on its hook before hopping up onto the counter.  “You’re so young, and so talented already.  I know that you were considering becoming a veterinarian, but we really need more doctors.”

“A doctor?” Cassie says, like she hasn’t considered it.

“It’s something to think about, at least,” Lourdes says.

Lourdes gathers her things, making sure she has everything that she’ll need for the rest of her day.  She doesn’t have much, but she’s learned that she doesn’t need as much stuff as she used to think she did.  As long as she has herself.  

“Are you going to the chapel again?” Cassie asks.  

Lourdes is surprised she’s still there, but nods, turning around.  “Do you want to come with me?”

“How do you keep your faith?” Cassie asks.  

Lourdes shrugs, a smile spreading across her face.  “I figure if there are good things, even in this, there must be someone up there, watching out for us.”

Cassie sighs, crossing her arms.  “I really admire you.  For being so steadfast, and sure of yourself.”

“I have doubts, like anyone else,” Lourdes says, “but I also have faith, and that carries me through.”

“How?” Cassie asks, softly.

She looks so young and vulnerable, that Lourdes can’t say anything.  All she can do is pull the young girl close for a hug.  She rubs her back as she starts to shake, murmuring comforting words to her.

* * *

Hal watches as Marco entertains some kids as a gorilla.  It’s easy to forget the horrors that the kid has seen when he draws attention to himself like this.  Classic deflection.  

Then, the gorilla becomes a kid again- a horror to witness all in itself- and he almost gets lost in the group of other kids.  He eventually manages to detangle himself from the younger, adoring kids and walks barefoot over to where Hal is leaning against the wall.  

“Ben’s brother, right?” Marco asks, and there’s something hidden in the question.

“I go by Hal, usually,” Hal replies, “but yeah.  Ben’s my brother.”

“How’s he doing?” Marco asks.

Hal tilts his head, big brother instincts on full alert.  “Is there something that I should be worried about?”

“It just seems like,” Marco gestures towards his neck, whistling a little, “would be difficult.”

“He manages just fine,” Hal says, not knowing how much of that is truth.  He’s keen to shift the subject.  “Wasn’t your mom taken by the aliens before this all went public?” 

That’s not something that he’s supposed to know, but being the President’s son has its benefits.  

“Nope.  Don’t know what you’re talking about,” Marco says, easy as anything.  

Hal nods a little; it’s not something that’s easy to talk about.  “My mistake.  It’s really hard, though.  Having someone you care for in the clutches of the aliens, I mean.”

“It would be,” Marco says.  “But it doesn’t matter.  The war has to be won.”

Those aren’t words said by a dumb kid high on foolhardy idealism, Hal can tell.  Those are words said by a seasoned soldier who has determined that he’s going to win the war and who knows damn well that the cost of winning can be high.  

The kid is Ben’s age.

“It does,” Hal agrees cautiously, “but there’s always hope.  We didn’t even think Ben was alive and we got him back.”

This is, apparently, the wrong thing to say.  Marco checks his bare wrist, surprise spreading across his face.

“Whoops, I’m late for a meeting with the other Animorphs.  See ya later, Hal,” Marco says, turning away.

Hal watches him go.  As if he didn’t have enough moody little kids to watch out for without deciding to watch out for the Animorphs as well.  

* * *

Tom watches the fifteen year old at the head of the table.  This war has taken a terrible toll on their children- especially his own children- but there’s still something altogether different about seeing a fifteen year old planning out guerilla warfare with ease.  

“We’ll draw the bulk of the fire, here,” Jake says, pointing at the map.  “Rachel’s elephant morph can bust down the door, making room for the rest of us.  Tobias will be able to make sure that we don’t get surprised by beamers.”  

“You’ll be drawing an awful lot of fire at that position,” Tom points out.

“That’s the point, sir,” Jake says.  “We don’t have the kind of artillery to break down the door any other way.” 

Tom and Weaver exchange looks.  They’re not quite comfortable with this; they’ve only seen the Animorphs in action a few times.  

“And you’re sure that Rachel is the best choice for this?” Tom asks doubtfully.  

“Respectfully, sir, I wouldn’t let Rachel hear you questioning that.  She’s likely to knock down your door in elephant morph to show you,” Jake says with a wry grin.  

Tom doesn’t like the plan because it relies on putting a bunch of fifteen year olds at the forefront of the action and directly into the line of fire.  He also recognizes that this is the only plan they have.  

“Noted.  We’ll strike tomorrow,” Tom says, nodding and rubbing his beard.

“I’ll let the other Animorphs know,” Jake says with a nod.  “We’ll be ready.”

The meeting dismisses after they iron out a few more details.  Jake ambles out the door, and Tom decides to follow after.  He needs to have a few words with the young man that some people have taken to calling General Jake behind his back.

“Hey, Jake,” Tom says.

“Mr. President,” Jake says.  

“Please, call me Tom,” he says.  The title never feels right.  “Or at least Professor Mason.”

Something in that makes Jake brighten up just a smidge.  Until that moment, Tom didn’t realize quite how much Jake’s been carrying around on his shoulders.  Being weighed down with the fate of the human race just must be Jake’s default state.  

“You were a history professor, weren’t you?” Jake says.  “I think someone mentioned that.”

“Yes, I was.  Studied the American Revolution,” Tom says.

“Before everything went public, I liked to study successful generals, to see what I could learn,” Jake says.  “Washington was fascinating to me.  He lost more battles than he won, but he won his wars.”

“You should stop by my office.  I have a couple books you might like to read,” Tom says.  

He knows that the kid lost most of his family somewhere along the way.  Not that Tom has a lot of extra time, but maybe he can at least spend a little bit of time with this young general.

**Author's Note:**

> I am so sorry that Ax and Cochise aren't in here. Love those aliens, but I just.... did not plot enough to figure out exactly how the Volm and Andalites would work together.


End file.
